


Guardian Syndrome

by LukasDeAudi



Category: Angels with Scaly Wings (Visual Novel)
Genre: Gen, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:01:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27607340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LukasDeAudi/pseuds/LukasDeAudi
Summary: The story follows Amely, in her struggle to get by and live a normal life as every other young adult. Besides her studies at the Peacekeeper academy, she has to take care of her delusional father and avoid all possible nosy dragons who might be poking too much around. Sequel to the Red Wastelander; features Naomi (A Solitary Mind mod); more details inside.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The story follows Amely, in her struggle to get by and live a normal life as every other young adult. Well, at least as normal life as you can have in a post-apocalyptic world. Besides her studies at the Peacekeeper academy, she has to take care of her delusional father and avoid all possible nosy dragons who might be poking too much around and ruin her life forever.
> 
> <*/*>
> 
> This story is a follow up to The Red Wastelander. You might wanna give it a read before you jump onto this one.  
> The spoiler-free TLDR is: We are in the future world after dragons travelled through the portal. The human world is a frozen iceberg. If you played Frostpunk, you've got an idea where I am going with this.  
> Also, if you liked Sebastian during your AWSW playthrough, be warned. The story also includes Naomi from the mod A Solitary Mind. Adine is the partner of the human ambassador.
> 
> Links:  
> The Red Wastelander -> https://www.furaffinity.net/view/30926925/
> 
> Angels with Scaly wings -> http://angelswithscalywings.com/  
> A Solitary Mind mod -> https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1597292073

**Prologue**   
*****

Amely felt the cold steel against her left claw. Finger settled on a trigger, she drew in a mighty breath. Weapon handle kicked her in the palm, but the training dummy didn't suffer any damage. She missed her shot.

She could feel a claw scratching against the sound-proofed helmet she was wearing.

"Bang and you are dead, Amelia."

Amely had an extra training session after standard hours. There was no one around, and only the voice of her instructor filled in blank space of the shooting range.

"You are not focused. Your eyes travel all over the place. Your grip is too firm," summarized the instructor Amely's performance. "The weapon is not your enemy. It's a partner in crime, someone that will protect you when all hope is lost." He was going back and forth behind Amely's back. Every other footstep had a long clap, and it made the red-white student even more nervous.

"Attention!" screamed the drill sergeant out of sudden. Amely almost dropped her gun as she had tried to quickly obey her superior.

"Your performance is totally off the charts, Amelia. In negatives! Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!" attempted Amely to reach the level of volume the instructor was using but couldn't muster the intended scream level.

"Get your feet on the ground, that's an order. Peacekeepers have no place for dreamers and intellectuals." The instructor was circling the dragon girl in the manner of a hungry shark. "We've got a goal of keeping this colony alive, trainee. Even a wimp like yourself can understand that, don't you?"

"Sir, yes, sir," Amely lost her breath at the second 'sir'.

Her instructor showed the dragon his back. "You are doing an extra tomorrow. If you don't want to spend summer break here, you'll get a hold of yourself!" He didn't wait for Amely to say her weak 'sir' and exclaimed, "Dismissed!"

If there was a record for running into the changing rooms on a time limit, Amely most certainly broke it that afternoon. She wanted to get away from everything - the rude instructor, her studies, her teachers, the academy, you name it.

Three years.

If someone would ask if her father was taking good care of her, she would just laugh. She was the one taking care of her father, prolonging the inevitable demise.

Remy developed severe depression over the years. It seemed like the whole world crashed on the white dragon, and he simply couldn't take it. He would just go on and on about his dead girlfriend, reliving the worst moments every single minute of his existence.

Amely slammed a fist into her locker door. She followed the attack with a double headbutt.

"Amely?" a voice echoed behind her. Amely jumped a foot in the air and raised a towel in a defensive stance. She then realized who was standing in front of her.

Bronze scales and the smell of cheap alcohol. "He-y, Bryce," stuttered Amely. "I didn't see you there."

Bryce snorted in amusement. "I was actually standing here for the last ten minutes..."

Amely's eyes grew wide, and she felt a bit embarrassed. That instructor was right. Her mind was all over the place. She would not make it through the finals in her condition.

"Now, I didn't come here to make fun of you." Bryce cleared his throat, getting to the topic of his visit. "I've been getting the reports of you underperforming in training sessions. Is there anything I can do?"

"Unless you can change fate," responded Amely. "I'm afraid there's not much you can do."

Bryce snorted, "You don't have to be alone in this fight of yours, Amely. Some people you know can help you."

Amely burst into satirical laughter, "Oh, really? Let me guess..." She leaned forward, her death glare fixated upon the bronze chief. "Adine made you come here, huh?"

Bryce said nothing in his defence. In total honesty, he was taken aback by the sudden hostility.

"I'd like to see you taking care of a lunatic quadruped and his clone-freak daughter. I am outta here." Amely slammed the doors of her locker and left before Bryce could respond.

The old chief whispered to himself after a while of silence. "What happened to you, Amely?"

* * *

*/*

* * *

Amely sat outside on a bench right above the city square and marketplace. She could see every part of the colony, the place that had become her home when she was still young and couldn't understand anything going on around her.

Last bits of sunlight was touching her nose. Dusk was settling in, and the world was getting ready for nightfall.

Amely didn't want to go home, though. Just because the school was over, it didn't mean her duties would end as well. She was well aware she would have to get up and face her fate eventually, no matter how hard she would attempt to resist.

What if she just left? She had formal military and survival training. She could get by in the wasteland just fine. She would just have to steal some gear and a weapon and get past the security checkpoint. Which in truth meant just mentioning Bryce...

She shook with a sudden sensation of an unnatural cold drop running down her spine. What was she thinking? She couldn't just leave. She couldn't do that to Remy. Her father needed her, even though it didn't look like he did.

It didn't occur to Amely how long she was sitting out there. She blamed the feeling of wet scales on her imagination before she realized it was raining. She was soaked from the head to tail. She shivered for real.

"Rain, huh? That's new," she mumbled to herself and departed towards her home.

* * *

*

* * *

It took a while to find keys for the front door and even longer to find the keyhole. She needed to have the light bulb replaced if she wanted to return home after dark. For that, she needed to actually get home earlier and spend some time shopping for the light bulb. The whole problem of hers was the flow of time, as it tended to go faster than Amely needed.

Doors squeaked, as the red and white dragoness entered the apartment with no one but darkness greeting her. She looked around, scanning for the sight of Remy. The white dragon was nowhere to be seen, though.

"Father?" pronounced Amely into the silent hall. "Are you home?"

What a dumb question. Even if Amely had left the front door open, he wouldn't run off on his own. Where could he be, though? Remy had a habit of crawling into the most unexpected spots as he was trying to hide from the world. For a dragon of his size and colour, it couldn't be an easy task.

Amely sighed at the discovery of an utter mess in the living room. Old torn pages from Amely's sketchbook laying on the ground, pilling up in various odd mixtures of family-related things and copies of formal documents.

Amely got to cleaning up the mess, half-hoping she would find Remy in the process. She didn't have to look for long.

Remy was snoring soundly behind the couch on a carpet-covered floor. He looked like he decided to take a nap after weeping above the old photos for about a half a day.

Amely couldn't afford to think about it too much, as there were several other issues she had to address before she could go to bed. Her grumbling stomach wasn't helping. She didn't have any time left to eat though.

Another part of her life was less impressive. She had to pretend her father was fine, which came along with doing his job tasks herself. In a short word, a lot of paperwork to go through.

She knew the Council would exile Remy as a dead weight. They would leave him on the mercy of the elements outside the colony fortification. In his current condition, he had no chance of surviving. Leaving the house would kill him, left alone leaving the sheltered colony.

That was also a part of Amely's problem why she couldn't get any helpful medication for her father. Someone could get suspicious. So, instead of analgetics, she was only getting sleep pills so Remy could nap his 'episodes' away. Human-grade meds on the top of that, in case he wanted to overdose on them. A dead dragon wouldn't be so easy to explain.

Sometimes Amely wished she'd go mad herself. The decisions regarding Remy, the recent failures at school and Bryce poking around, etc. It was a constant stream of stress attacking Amely day by day. 

Amely clawed on her forehead, and she could feel the scales ripping. She let out a low whimper and hoped her father didn't wake up. The white dragon was still snoring in an unchanged position. Amely felt envy eating her from the inside. She had to get by on two, maybe three hours of sleep a day, and Remy was just laying there without any care or guilt. 

Amely slumped onto her work desk, right on a pile of neatly stacked documents. She just couldn't take it anymore. A minute or two passed before Amely rose back up. 

"Suck it up, trooper," It was the line she heard the most at school. "This war ain't over."


	2. Chapter 2

Amely felt nauseous as she sat between her peers at the academy class. Their professor was explaining various types of firearms, their history and functions. A probably something Amely would need in her future career. 

Why was it so hard to keep her eyes open? Why did the wooden cover on the wall beside her felt so soft?

"Amelia?" She was yanked from her nap-session by a sudden firm shake, which almost dislocated her shoulder.

"Alright, I am up," she groaned angrily, baring her teeth at whoever was standing in the front of her. It was Alex Tomazuki, Adine's partner and colony's ambassador for the matter of dragon-human coexistence. Amely immediately regretted her rude approach. She stood up, eyeing the desk. "I am sorry, sir. I don't know what came over me."

"No offence was taken," Alex smiled politely. The dragoness couldn't see his eyes, but she could be sure he was watching her body language. "The class is long over. What are you doing here?"

When Amely didn't respond, Alex continued. "I was on my way to the academy's office and happened to see you passed out through the window there." He pointed behind himself with a thumb. "Are you getting enough sleep? You are much slimmer than I remember."

Amely was almost ready to fire a sarcastic reply in Alex' face, but then fear overcame her. That human was interrogating her, which meant something had to be very wrong. Without giving it a second thought, she brushed past Alex and disappeared into the empty hallway.

Amely feared the human would follow her, but he didn't. She had to get away, check on her father. If the government was investigating, they would find out sooner or later who was doing Remy's home-office assignments.

** <*/*> **

Alex Tomazuki was indeed watching the red-white dragon apprentice. She was acting more weird than usual, and the human wondered if he should ask around about her.

'She's probably fine,' Alex's logic said. 'She's after someone like Anna and Remy, and minor problems with socialization should not be surprising.'

'Yeah, but still, that was more than weird,' Alex's consciousness responded. 'She could be in trouble.'

Alex himself took a deep breath and deafened the internal argument. Whatever was going on, it wouldn't result in anything positive. 'I better go and tell someone,' he thought. 'I have to set whatever this issue is straight.'

There was only one dragon he could trust the most with this.

** <*/*> **

Walking the steps up to the Peacekeeper chief's office, Alex had several thoughts on his mind. He ditched from the original day schedule for protecting the one's he cared about - a noticeable change in his behaviour, at least in his employer's point of view.

Everyone from the inside government knew Alex as a manipulative son of a gun using love and friendships to win favours for the human race. Statement far from the truth which proved as a convenient lie over the years though.

There were at least two dragons in the office, just guessing from the shadows Alex could observe through the stained glass. The debate wasn't heated. It almost seemed like they didn't want anyone to overhear them. The human was about to change that.

He knocked. Everyone in the hallway and attached rooms could hear that pristine knocking. The two voices in the chief's office died down.

"It's open," throat growl which couldn't belong to anyone else but Bryce rang with the glass panes. Alex pushed the wooden obstacle aside.

The room contained two dragons, as expected. The Chief Officer Bryce positioned behind the desk and Adine just standing around on the carpet. 

"Well, I'd never expect to find you here, Adine," Alex grinned, his moustache rising slightly. Adine straightened up in an attempt to look taller, as she had found herself cornered from both ends.

"Hey, Alex," Bryce interrupted. "We were kind of in the middle of something, but needs of the government..."

"Actually," Alex cleared his throat. "My 'case' is personal. Go ahead and finish whatever topic you had with my wife. I'll see myself out."

"We were talking about Amely," Adine spoke up. "You could help now that I think of it."

"Adine," Bryce leaned over the work desk towards the wyvern. "You've told me we don't want the government involved."

"Yeah, I know," the yellow dragoness hissed. "But Alex can be discrete. We'll figure this out."

"As you wish," sighed Bryce. 

Alex fixed his glasses and brushed the brownish hair back. "When you mention it, my 'case' happens to be about Amely as well." The atmosphere in the office seemed to get colder. "Tell me everything you know," pressed on Alex.

"Damn Alex," Bryce noted and stood up. "You don't have to play the 'scary agent' game with us. We are all friends here." He used his snout to push the windows blinds close. The doors locked on its own.

"He does that when he wants something," Adine said. "Why did you have to lock us in?"

"I don't want anyone barging in," Bryce explained. "Keep whatever is happening between us only."

"Smart," dropped Alex a comment. "So, you've seen Amely in the past few days, acting strange, losing weight, falling asleep on the spot?"

"Met her yesterday after I had got a tip she was failing her classes," said the bronze officer. "Found her in the locker room, addressed the topic and she lashed out at me. Then ran off."

"I am still in awe her teachers told you, but not me," Adine put her claws on her waist, making herself look like an oversized yellow glider. "I demand an explanation."

"No offence, Adine," Bryce threw a short glance at her. "But sometimes you can be a bit overprotective, and the academy wants to avoid any drama, if possible." The yellow girl looked a bit hurt after that statement but didn't say anything in her defence.

"Well, I found Amely asleep in an empty class," added Alex, joining with his information. "When I had asked her what was she doing there, she ran off."

Adine rose an eyebrow, "Ran off where? Why didn't you follow her? She could be hurt or in trouble."

"I went straight here," the human said. "Amely's a runner. I wouldn't be able to keep up with her even if I tried." He scratched the back of his head. "So, what does that tell us?"

Bryce thought for a length of a heartbeat, "Just that she's got a lot on her plate. She was never this disorganized though, even during the grade finals."

"I'd say we investigate," Adine suggested. "In secret, like ninjas!" She put her upper wings up in a martial art motion.

Alex snickered, "Okay, agent. What's your next step? We are counting on you." Adine's shoulders dropped.

"Obviously," joined in Bryce, whose expression didn't change despite what was happening in the front of him. "We aren't gonna do anything reckless. Besides, I think Amely doesn't cherish our company too much."

"I know," Adine's shoulders dropped even more. "And it hurts." Her gaze trailed across the room as a sudden idea struck her. "Hmph, if being nice is not the way, let's brute force it, bring someone equally stubborn."

"Who that might be?" asked Alex, crossing his arms on a chest. "Anna?"

"Exactly," Adine's eyes flashed with determination. "And I am up for the task. I'll bring her ass around even if that's the last thing I do."

"Hold your horses," said Bryce as a warning, because Adine was ready to take off. "I need to unlock the doors first."

Once she was gone, the bronze chief threw a glance at the human. "Do you think she'll make it?"

"She survived getting shot, learned how to fly with a torn wing,..." Alex stated. "Yeah, I think she will. I'll go look for her if she doesn't show up after sundown." He walked out of the room.

"If that happens," Bryce muzzle curled up in an uncomfortable smile. "I hope you'll find her in one piece. That chilly pepper's a savage sometimes."

"Noted," waved the human at Bryce. "Thanks for your time."

** <*/*> **

Adine flew over the city districts, up the hill where the red scientist dwelled. She felt an itch in her stitched wing membrane, which usually meant she was about to do something uncomfortable or stressful.

Anna retained her post at the Peacekeeper office, still doing the evidence analysis on day to day basis. She was barely going outside, mostly returning to her work-overtime-sleep routine with only a few breaks in between. She was also avoiding people she used to know as a way of dealing with the betrayal she had endured.

When Anna ran away the first time, the government took away her apartment and citizenship. Her citizen ID was reinstated after she had returned, but for a long time, she was staying with Remy and Amely under one roof. From what Adine knew, the home of Remy's turned into a boiling pot of emotions, as Anna reminded the white quadruped of his dead girlfriend, which led to arguments obviously. The red scientist left the house soon after Bryce proposed another place where she could stay - the apartment previously belonging to Sebastian.

That's where Adine was headed in the end.

The apartment was dark inside, and at first, it looked like Anna wasn't home. Adine knocked on the doors, and a strange nostalgia hit her. She had done the same thing right before Sebastian...

"I know you are there, Anna! You can't hide from me," yelled Adine.

"Go away!" replied a slightly agitated feminine voice. "I don't know you."

"For eff's sake, Anna," Adine knocked harder. Her claw started to hurt. "I just wanna talk to you."

"Sheesh, alright," shuffling of two clawed feet could be heard as they moved over the carpet inside the apartment. A door lock clicked, and the doors opened.

"Damn, you look awful," Adine commented. "Are you okay?"

Anna growled in response and wanted to shut the door on the wyvern. Adine squeezed herself in before she could do so, however.

"What do you want?" Anna closed the door and glanced over to the wyvern.

"Turn on the light," said Adine, looking for a switch. "And open a window. The air here is stale."

"You are avoiding the question," Anna crossed her arms. "What do you want? I certainly didn't expect you or invite you in the first place." Adine didn't respond and walked over to the living room. Anna shook her head and followed the wyvern. 

"How long have you been cooped up in here? I haven't seen you in months." Adine said, showing into the sliding window to open it. A fresh breeze and light entered the room. "Good thing I came to check on you. A bit longer and you'd start growing mould."

"Adine, stop," Anna growled. There was something else in her voice than pure anger. "I know you're trying to be funny, but that's enough. I don't wanna lose the last bit of respect I've got for you."

"You respect me?" Adine looked over the shoulder. "I've always thought we are like sworn enemies or something."

"Yeah, we saved each other's life," Anna sat down on a couch. A cloud of dust exploded out of the cushions. "But you still think I am your nemesis. Thanks a lot."

"I am sorry," the yellow wyvern's head dropped. She was eyeing the ground. "I should have been more straightforward with you."

Anna exhaled and closed her eyes, the silence had fallen among the two. Adine looked around.

"You haven't moved a single item," she said. "The apartment's exactly as I remember it before Sebastian..."

"The flowers died," whispered Anna. "I bought artificial ones to bring back some colours. He wouldn't want me to squander his legacy. It's the least I could do."

"I miss him sometimes," Adine sat on the couch beside Anna. It felt strangely familiar. Anna shuffled and moved away to maintain a comfortable distance between them. "Still not a touchy-feely type?" Adine snickered.

"I don't wanna get hurt again," Anna noted. "Every time I touch something deeper, I lose it. My research, Sebastian, even that asshole Damion..." She grabbed her temples. "Damn it, what's wrong with me? I weep over an idiot who only wanted to use me."

"Well," Adine gently placed wing around the red girl, expecting her to show it away. It didn't happen though. "You are not losing me. I'll always be here for you."

Anna stood up, breaking the moment. "You still haven't answered my question. I've got work to do, and I've been on break when you've come by."

"Oh, right," the wyvern stretched and folded her wings, pressing them loosely against her body. "It's about Amely. She's been having some trouble lately, but she won't talk to me, or Bryce."

Anna's face twitched at the mention of her science-created offspring's name. She let Adine speak.

"And we thought you might help us."

The silence was the answer. Anna paced around the room back and forth, hand on a chin, thinking. She then murmured, "I knew something like that would happen."

Adine tilted her head. Anna still turned back-first at the wyvern, continued, "I suppose you know why did I leave Amely with her father."

"A refresher would be nice," Adine mentioned. "I just know you reminded Remy of his late girlfriend."

"Uhm-uh," Anna sat down on a couch again. "Just so you know, when I deserted and disappeared for a year, Remy's condition got worse. I don't know why and frankly, I don't care. What I do know, Amely took over his home-office, because he couldn't focus on his job anymore." 

Anna took a pause to inhale and exhale. The topic seemed to still be a bit fresh in her mind. "I thought at first I could ignore it as I did before, but it got unbearable hauling Amely to bed because she passed out on the top of unfilled forms and documents."

"And you haven't thought of telling me? Or someone?" Adine burst into an angry mood when something wasn't going within her ethical standards.

"I was scared, okay!" Anna yelled but called down immediately. "I didn't want to get on a watchlist again. My record wasn't cleared at the time, and the government was looking for every opportunity to exile me."

"Yeah, but letting Amely work herself to death?" Adine was still mildly irritated.

"I confronted Remy," Anna explained. "I said he would have to do something with his condition. Otherwise, I would have to report him. That's when it went south."

"He got angry, I suppose?" Adine's head was full of scenarios, and her imagination took over. She knew Remy. He would never attack someone, as he was too much of a coward.

"More than angry," Anna shivered. "After what I've been through, I thought I could endure anything. But that evening, I rationally feared I'd die. He was out of control, growling, hissing like he had gone mad. I defended myself with a chair, damn it. I left after I managed to tire him out, only packed some necessities."

"I think I've heard enough," Adine said. "Will you help us? We need to address this, even if it means exposing one of our own."

"I don't want to," Anna looked away. "It feels like something my old self would do, and I decided to quit being a bitch after we lost Sebastian. And I definitely wouldn't expect you to do something like this."

"My loyalty is determined by actions," Adine stood up, walked over to the window and looked outside. Dusk was settling in already, and she was running out of time. "I can forgive anyone willing to change and stay away from those who want to use others for dirty work."

"I-..." Anna stuttered. "I need time to think this through. Call me tomorrow at noon. I'll be ready by then."

Adine's reaction was to hug the red girl, who just stood up. Anna growled but reluctantly returned the received embrace.

** <*/*> **

On her way back, Adine's head was full of various twists and turns. If Anna could overcome the issues with Remy, in the end, it might turn out okay. The yellow wyvern landed just a few feet away from the Peacekeeper HQ. She had to report her success before calling it a day.

She didn't have to look long for Bryce, though. He was situated in the hallway by the entrance, talking to another dragon. Well, dragoness to be precise. Adine squinted to figure out who the heck the mysterious stranger was. They had sea-green scales, aquatic membranes, green eyes full of wonder. They were of a similar quadruped species as Bryce, but more smooth with almost no heavy-armour scales. They were dressed in a Survivalist suite, so they had to be a returning scout or lone wanderer.

"Naomi?" Adine held her breath. "Is that really you?"

The dragoness turned after the voice and the next moment turned into a blurry mess. Adine was almost tackled to the ground by the sea dragoness. Naomi was breathing heavily into Adine's earhole, nuzzling the wyvern's chin.

"Where have you been those years?" Adine asked. The sea dragoness backed away slightly from the wyvern. "I haven't seen you around ever since we've crossed the portal."

Naomi smiled, getting nostalgic, "I've become an explorer, thanks to my survival and analytic skills. There's five of us in the team, and we're responsible for mapping the wasteland because all maps humans used to have become unusable after the Long Winter."

"I am just glad you are okay," Adine put her wing-claws on Naomi's shoulders again. The suit felt cold to the touch, even though the bio-readers Naomi had attached to her lower neck displayed almost 97 degrees Fahrenheit. "Discovered something good?"

Bryce cleared his throat. Both dragonesses jumped, as they almost forgot he was there with them. "Naomi brought in news of immediate danger. We've got an ice storm incoming."

"I've thought we don't get these anymore," Adine exchanged weight from foot to foot. "The summer crops are gonna die if we move them in the greenhouse now."

"This one's much bigger to get offset by The Weather Processor," explained Naomi. "It's slow and might last a few days. The temperature's about to drop as well." Bryce gave her a look, and she nodded. "But I think we might have a bigger problem to worry about."

"Amely left the town," Bryce added.

Something inside of Adine's mind clicked as if you'd turn a key. "How? When? There are guards at every exit. How could a teen runner slip through?"

"We don't know yet," Bryce shook his head, bronze scales rattling. He was uncomfortable, fully knowing what to expect. "Apparently, someone broke into the Peacekeeper Academy's armoury and stole..."

"A Survivalist Kit, a small firearm, ammo and a combat knife. Some packed food and meds as well, five days worth of them at least." Naomi interrupted. "I've questioned the officer who was on break when the theft happened."

"Still sharp as a blade," Bryce acknowledged. "I am glad the blizzards haven't numbed you, Naomi."

Naomi blushed slightly as the bronze dragon clearly complimented her. Adine was less than amused, though. "What are we standing around for? We need to arrange a search party!"

"Negative," Bryce disagreed. "Officially, all wasteland scouts are grounded until the storm passes by." Naomi showed her side into the older officer. The bronze chief lost his train of thoughts and cleared his throat. "What?"

"Let me take care of this," said Naomi. "If I learned something during the years serving with you, it was helping someone in dire need is a duty worth getting in trouble for." She joined Adine, who was beaming with a newfound determination.

"Alright," Bryce closed his eyes. "This once and only because I trust you." He disappeared into the darkening hallway as the two girls were leaving.

"So," Adine picked up a topic. "What's your plan?"

"I don't know," Naomi grinned. "You tell me. You know Amely better than I do. Why would she leave? What would be her motive to steal valuable resources?"

Adine thought deeply. Gears were turning, the temperature rose. If she was a steam pump, she'd be letting out clouds of boiling water droplets.

** <*/*> **

** <A few hours earlier - Amely> **

** <*/*> **

It was past eleven o'clock, and Amely was supposed to be at the firing range, training with others. However, she was running home. She had to check if everything was in check and undisturbed.

Amely barged in after finding the keys and unlocking the doors, which slammed open. Remy was awake, holding a single letter in his claws. He was distressed by something.

"Father?" Amely caught a glimpse of a formal looking seal stuck to the letter's envelope. Remy raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

"The school ended earlier today?" He replied with a question, nonchalant tone heavily present in his voice. His gaze was distant behind the reading glasses.

Amely shivered. Not from the cold but from a horrible expectation. She didn't bother answering and reached for the letter Remy was holding. He dodged her attempt and slammed the item against the floor. The paper crumbled and tore. 

"Do you know what this is?" he spoke, his voice still cold. "I was fired because I had failed to fill my quota. They don't want me at the office anymore."

Amely's eyes widened. Remy's mind was clouded, but after a long time of apathy, the mentioned official letter brought in a harsh reality Remy would have to face sooner or later. However, what could someone with psychosis do?

"And the worst part," Remy continued. He was looking at nothing, his red necktie torn in half. "It's your fault." He advanced towards the red-white girl, who took a step back. "Your damn eyes, so curious and full of wonder. She lives in you, and it makes every day a living nightmare."

He snapped and clawed in Amely's direction, who managed to jump out of the way just in time. "Make it stop!" Remy screamed and grabbed onto his head, half-collapsed, only to spring back up and attack more. The stress of losing the job provoked an outbreak when he would bite anything that moved.

Amely quickly made an escape attempt, using the moment of Remy losing sight of her. She was used to him yelling at shadows, but he never attacked her. The main door remained open, but that would mean running through the rampaging dragon first. So, Amely decided to lock herself in Anna's former room. After the doors slammed behind her, and she locked herself in, Amely contemplated her choices. She could stay and wait for the 'episode' to end, or she could just leave.

'If you go and show up on someone's doorstep, they will report it,' Amely's brain said. 'You have to choose a voluntary exile if you want to be free. There's no point in staying anyway.'

Amely unsealed the window shutters Anna used to maintain optimal darkness for sleeping during the day. An ice-cold breeze hit her muzzle as she jumped on a drainpipe and slid down. She knew going against the law was gonna cost her everything she ever achieved, but staying with someone who blamed her for being alive wasn't bearable.

Amely fixed the peacekeeper cap on her head. "Anna survived outside for a year with no training. Why couldn't I?"

She was determined to pull her plan for a new life out. It just needed some planning and equipment. And she knew the perfect place where to get it. Amely grinned to herself and steered her feet towards the academy.

** <*/*> **

"Did someone question Remy? Because he might have been the last one who has seen her?" Adine said. 

Naomi and herself were on their way towards the barracks, where the rest of the scout team was situated. "We did," confirmed Naomi. "Or Bryce did to be clear. He didn't allow me to get a closer look, saying he didn't want me to interfere. Whatever that meant..."

Adine nodded, gesturing the sea dragon should continue. And she did. "Remy apparently lost his job due to missing a deadline on multiple occasions. Bryce learned about it just in time before the humans could sweep the area and brought Remy here. Against his will, I might add."

"Unlikely of Remy," Adine commented. "He is usually organized. What's the plot twist?"

Naomi looked left and right. "I am not sure we should discuss this in the open," she lowered her voice. "But from present evidence, he wasn't the one doing the job. Amely was. No one noticed until we compared the handwriting side by side."

"I am not gonna pretend I haven't heard about it from someone before," Adine whispered back. "It still baffles me, though. Why? Remy was just depressed. He didn't lose his intellect or sanity. Or did he?"

"Remy revealed he sorta forced Amely to do so out of fear of getting exiled," Naomi explained. "Bryce hasn't brought up Remy's mental condition, but I imagine it's pretty bad since he entered a coma-like state after the interrogation."

"So Anna wasn't lying," Adine thought aloud. "She simply couldn't see Amely getting used the same way as she was." The wyvern bolted in the opposite direction.

"Where are you going?" Naomi called after her and tried to catch up. She grabbed Adine by the tail before the flyer could take off. "Oh, sorry," the see dragoness apologized because the yellow girl tripped and fell on her nose.

Adine wiped the dirt off her muzzle and glared at Naomi who smiled sheepishly. "I need to pay someone another visit ASAP," said Adine and unfolded her wings again. 

"Alright," Naomi prepared hers as well. "Just don't fly too far ahead."


End file.
